Youthful Journey

A Young Man's Journey -

Chapter One: A Young Man in Spring Robes Apricot blossoms bloom

in Jiangnan, grasses grow tall and orioles sing.

A melodious whistle rang out, and a young man in blue robes rode a donkey out from a mountain pass.

The young man before them, dressed in blue robes and wearing a blue hat, while not exactly handsome, was certainly good-looking. Most notably, his

thin lips, whistling with a slight smile, were quite charming. Behind him was another donkey,

carrying a beautiful and delicate girl. The girl wore pale yellow, her face like a peach blossom, and was also very pretty.

Despite his mischievous appearance, this young man was Duan Jin, the young master of the Duan family of Dali. This Duan family of Dali was once

a royal family, ruling over Yunnan alongside the Song, Liao, and Western Xia dynasties, but unfortunately, they were destroyed by the Yuan dynasty at the end of the Song dynasty.

The Duan family originally came from a martial arts family in the Central Plains, and in the second year of Tianfu of the Later Jin dynasty during the Five Dynasties period, the Southern Zhao minister Duan Siping

established the state . Although the Duan family was of royal lineage, they never neglected their family's martial arts traditions; on the contrary, they became even more diligent in their practice, with many members of the royal family being

highly skilled . The Dali Kingdom was a Buddhist country, and its emperors were devout Buddhists, often abdicating the throne to become monks and enter

the Tianlong Temple to study more advanced martial arts. The Duan family's One-Finger Divine Skill and Six-Meridian Divine Sword were renowned martial arts techniques in the martial arts world.

It is said that the Yuan Dynasty rose to power, intending to sweep across China. However, its southward advance into the Central Plains was blocked, so it changed course to the northwest. First, it conquered the Xia Dynasty,

then Sichuan, and finally Dali, delivering a powerful right hook punch. Although the Song Dynasty had alliances with Xia and Dali, the tide of power

was turning towards the Mongols, and no one in the world could rival them.

In the third year of the Jingding reign of Emperor Lizong of Song, Kublai Khan led the Yuan army to conquer Dali. When Dali fell, a group of skilled members of the Duan family

rescued the royal family from the city. From then on, the Duan family wandered to the Wuliang Mountains, practicing literature and martial arts, living the life of martial arts heroes. (Note

1)

The Duan family lineage reached its 25th generation with Duan Jin. Duan Jin's father, Duan Shengping, married two wives. The first wife

was Dao Ru, a Baiyi woman from Dali, who was a traditional marriage partner of the Duan family. The second wife was Leng

Baiyun, the leader of the Seven Stars Sect, the most powerful sect in the world. Leng Baiyun had a son and a daughter, named Duan Lan and Duan Zhi.

The first wife, Dao Ru, gave birth to Duan Jin at the age of 40, making him the precious treasure of the Duan family. Duan Jin was naturally

mischievous but also exceptionally intelligent, much like his father, Duan Shengping, which is why even the second wife, Leng Baiyun,

adored him.

At the age of 7, Duan Jin mastered the Duan family's unparalleled lightness skill, Lingbo Weibu. This boy thought martial arts

were nothing and lost interest in practicing them, instead becoming obsessed with things like flowers, birds, fish, and insects.

He spent all his time with the four hereditary guards of the Duan family: woodcutter, fisherman, scholar, and hunter, and was deeply

engrossed . So by the time he turned 17, he was already knowledgeable about all sorts of unorthodox martial arts, astronomy, and geography. However, his family

's martial arts skills were limited to the Lingbo Weibu and Beiming Divine Skill. His father had tricked him into learning the Beiming Divine Skill, telling him it could

attract .

Because Duan Jin was the family's precious daughter, no one forced him to study martial arts, and he enjoyed

a happy and carefree childhood.

This year, Duan Jin turned 18. According to the Duan family tradition, boys who turned 18 had to

go on a two-year training journey in the martial arts world, just like their ancestor Duan Yu (a character in Jin Yong's "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," note 2), before

returning home . Thus, this young master of the Duan family had to leave the comfortable home of Wuliang Mountain and venture into

the martial arts world.

Naturally, the Duan family was not at ease letting such a playboy travel the martial arts world, so they sent the beautiful

young girl Wan'er to protect him. Don't underestimate this charming young girl; she is

the personal maid of the young mistress, Leng Baiyun.

Wan'er was an orphan from a young age, adopted by Leng Baiyun at the age of three. Leng Baiyun adored her and passed

on his . Wan'er's Wind and Cloud Palm and Returning Cloud Sword Technique had already reached the level of a top-tier master in the world.

Wan'er was the same age as Duan Jin, and they had been childhood sweethearts, enjoying a close friendship. This time, when Duan Jin went on his journey through the martial world, Leng

Baiyun bestowed Wan'er upon him as a companion, both to serve him and to act as his bodyguard.

After whistling, Duan Jin lazily opened his eyes and said to Wan'er, "Wan'er,

the scenery of Jiangnan is truly wonderful. Look at the beautiful fireworks and apricot blossoms."

Wan'er replied, "If you like the scenery of Jiangnan, why don't you stay a couple more days?"

Duan Jin said, "I would like to, but my elder brother will be taking over my mother's position as sect leader at the Ancient Desert Peak on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

My mother and elder brother dote on me so much, how can I not go and support them?"

Wan'er said, "Young master, there's no need to rush. It's only the third day..." "On the first day of the month, you still have to go

to the Nangong family in Hangzhou to celebrate Uncle Nangong's birthday before the first day of the fourth month, right?"

Duan Jin said, "Oh, right, I remember when my father turned 50, Uncle Nangong came to our house to celebrate. I

was playing with his daughter, Nangong Qing. Six years have passed. I wonder what that little girl looks like now."

Wan'er said, "Sister Qing must have grown into a beautiful young lady."

Before she finished speaking, they heard the sound of horses' hooves approaching from afar, and three men in tight-fitting clothes galloped past them.

A cloud of dust surrounded Duan Jin and Wan'er.

Duan Jin quickly covered his face with his hands and cursed, "What kind of scoundrels are these, so arrogant and domineering!"

Wan'er said, "Young master, should I catch up with them and capture them to vent your anger?"

Duan Jin said, "Even if Wan'er is powerful, can she catch a galloping horse? Forget it, I'm in a good mood today, I won't bother with these

boorish people . There's a pavilion ahead, let's rest there."

The two went to the pavilion, tied up the donkey, and went inside. An uncle came up and greeted them, "Would you two

gentlemen like some tea?"

Duan Jin said, "Yes, yes."

The tea was served, and Wan'er poured the tea into a cup. Duan Jin picked up the cup to drink, but Wan'er quickly stopped him, "Wait,

let me try it before I drink." She took out a small needle from her bag, dipped it in the water, and seeing no reaction, handed

the cup to Duan Jin.

The tea server, watching from the side, was quite displeased. "Sir, aren't you being a little too cautious?"

Duan Jin quickly laughed it off, "I'm sorry, uncle, my little maid is just a bit neurotic sometimes."

Wan'er pouted and said, "This is what the young master instructed, to be careful about your diet." It turned out that before leaving, the young

master Duan Lan had specially given Duan Jin three treasures. The first was the Heavenly Silkworm Robe that Duan Jin was wearing, which made him

invulnerable to swords and spears. The second was three Heavenly Reversal Pills, which, as the name suggests, were holy medicines for healing injuries and could even

revive . The third treasure was the small needle that Wan'er had just tested. It was no ordinary needle; it was a Spirit Rhinoceros Toothpick,

which could not only detect all poisons but also cure them. Simply placing the toothpick in the mouth of the poisoned person would neutralize the poison.

Just then, three more men in tight-fitting clothes galloped past the pavilion. Duan Jin glanced at them sideways and asked, "

Shopkeeper , who are these people riding horses so fast?"

The waiter replied, "Young master, you don't know? These are subordinates of Wanmei Manor, which is 30 li away. The young

master of Wanmei Manor was assassinated a couple of days ago, so people from the manor have been coming and going constantly these days."

"Is that so?" Duan Jin asked, "What is this Wanmei Manor?"

Wan'er chimed in, "Wanmei Manor was founded by the old master, Mei Wanshan, over 30 years ago. Mei Wanshan

roamed the martial world with his Plum Blossom Sword, gradually making Wanmei Manor's status in Jiangnan comparable to that of the Nangong family.

In addition , the wealthy and powerful Wanlong Money Shop is also an asset of Wanmei Manor. The young master, Mei Yiping, is Mei Wanshan's only

son." Wan'er had traveled the martial world with Leng Baiyun since childhood, so although she was young, she had a

wealth of knew everything about it.

Duan Jin said, "Hehe, isn't Master Mei very heartbroken? His only son is dead."

Duan Jin then asked the tea server, "How did that unfortunate young master die?"

"I don't know," the tea server replied.

Duan Jin stretched and looked around, noticing a person sitting in the corner of the pavilion, wearing a

bamboo hat black veils hanging from the four sides. Duan Jin glanced at him, then suddenly turned around and whispered in Wan'er's ear:

"Hey, see that person sitting in the corner? I felt something was off about him as soon as he came in. What do you think he does

?"

Wan'er whispered, "Young Master, I also felt that person was strange, but his martial arts are very high, and he's a woman."

Duan Jin asked, "How do you know?"

Wan'er replied, "It's from experience. The way she sits there is both offensive and defensive. She can slam the table at

you or bounce back from behind. And did you see her hands? Such white and delicate hands,

definitely a woman's hands." Duan Jin said, "Oh, amazing! My Wan'er is so clever, able to see so much. I really need to travel the world

with you more." 　　Wan'er heard... Duan Jin, beaming with pride, said, "Thank you for the compliment, young master. Actually, someone as clever as you could figure it out if you practiced martial arts diligently." 　　Duan Jin, however, hated martial arts the most, and immediately became displeased upon hearing this. He pulled his head away from Wan'er's ear and said, "Do n't give me that 'mother's talk' nonsense. There are many things in the world that can be resolved without force." 　　Seeing Duan Jin's temper, Wan'er didn't dare speak and could only mutter, "I didn't force you to practice martial arts." 　　Duan Jin smiled and patted Wan'er, saying, "Little Wan'er, don't be like that. I'm not blaming you. With my little Wan'er here, what can't be solved? Haha." 　　Wan'er's face immediately turned red from his touch. Originally, Wan'er and this young master had grown up , childhood sweethearts, and her heart had long been devoted to Duan Jin. Although Leng Baiyun treated Wan'er like his own daughter , Wan'er only felt gratitude towards him and always felt a sense of hierarchy, so she dared not have any improper thoughts about the young master. Leng Baiyun's assignment of her to Duan Jin's side had already overjoyed Wan'er; she only wanted to take good care of and protect him along the way. 　　At this moment, several horses stopped outside, all carrying the same men in their tight-fitting clothes from before. They tied their horses at the door and entered. Leading them was a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed like a scholar, holding a folding fan. He looked refined, but his eyes were unsettling. When he entered the teahouse, Duan Jin's eyes met his, and he felt uncomfortable under the sharp glint in the man's eyes. 　　The middle-aged man's eyes lingered briefly on Duan Jin and Wan'er before immediately shifting to the man in black . The middle-aged man swiftly opened his fan, walked slowly to the table of the man in black, clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said in a low voice, "Brother, may I sit down?" 　　The man in black did not move, only saying, "Please, go ahead." 　　The scholar lifted his robe and sat down steadily opposite the man in black. The instant the scholar lifted his robe, Wan'er had already caught a glimpse of a soft sword engraved with a blue dragon wrapped around his waist. She whispered to Duan Jin, "Young master, this is the cold-eyed scholar, Chen Xiao, the head steward of Wanmei Manor. His martial arts are among the best in the Jiangnan region." Although her voice was very soft, the scholar seemed to have noticed something, turning his head slightly to glance at Duan Jin and the other man. But he did not speak, turning his head back to face the man in black. 　　The scholar asked, "Where does this young lady come from, and where is she going?" 　　The man in black didn't speak, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and suddenly said, "Shopkeeper, is the plain noodle soup ready?" 　　The shopkeeper quickly replied, "Coming, sir." A moment later, the shopkeeper brought over a bowl of noodles. 　　The scholar stopped him, "Please instruct me, young lady." Although his words were still polite, they were filled with murderous intent. 　　The man in black seemed to sense something and slowly said, "Is this your home? Do I have to ask your head steward of Wanmei Manor for permission to go anywhere?" 　　Duan Jin recognized the pleasant female voice and couldn't help but smile at Wan'er, as if to say, "You guessed right . " 　　The scholar said, "Normally it's none of my business, but recently there's been an accident at the manor, and I've been ordered to question ." 　　Duan Jin chuckled, "Brother, the person died two days ago. Are you out of your mind or deliberately disturbing the peace?" Wan'er didn't expect Duan Jin to suddenly take over the conversation and quickly tugged at his sleeve under the table. Duan Jin brushed her hand away and continued, "Scholar, you're questioning a young lady like this. She could accuse you of indecent assault." 　　The scholar didn't even turn his head. "I'm following orders. And where does this young master come from?" 　　Wan'er quickly interjected, "My young master is from Yunnan, traveling to the capital for the imperial examinations." 　　The scholar turned around and said, "Then please come to the manor for a seat, gentlemen." 　　Duan Jin retorted, "Is your manor the Hall of Literature or the Hall of Hell? I only go to the Hall of Literature to worship the sages, not to the Hall of Hell to worship the judges." This Duan Jin had been spoiled since childhood, fearless except for his father, and his words were extremely sarcastic. 　　The scholar slowly said, "These are the rules. For the next two days, all strangers within a hundred li of the manor must come and sit here." 　　This time, the man in black spoke up: "These are your rules. This young lady doesn't appreciate them." 　　The scholar didn't say anything, just sat there drinking tea. Duan Jin thought to herself, "This is going to be interesting. I'll wait and see. "

There's bound to be a good show. He winked at Wan'er, meaning she should deal with him later. The teahouse

was eerily quiet, save for the occasional rustling of the man in black eating his noodles.

Just as the tension was building, the man in black finished his noodles and got up to leave. The scholar stopped him, "Miss,

you should leave."

Duan Jin also jumped up, shouting, "Miss, go ahead! This young master is here!" Wan'er was both amused and

annoyed . This young master always acted this way when he was angry, not caring about their relationship; he did

whatever he wanted. She stood up too, deciding to protect the young master first.

Unexpectedly, the man in black said, "This young master's kindness is appreciated, but there's no need for you to draw your sword. I'll

just go with him."

The tense atmosphere instantly changed, and the scholar's facial muscles relaxed: "Please." At the same time, he

turned to Duan Jin and the other man and said the same word: "Please."

Duan Jin was stunned for a moment, then his eyes darted around: "Haha, fun, fun! I'll go with you to the King of Hell's Palace to see

the judge." He turned and strode out the door.

Wan'er had also thought that a fight was about to break out, but who knew it would turn out like this? She had no choice but to pack her bags

and follow them out the door.

The man in black led out a tall, black horse from behind the house. The horse was entirely black except for its four

white hooves. Duan Jin, who had grown up with his retainers, was quite knowledgeable about horses. He said, "What

a Snow-Treading Black Horse!" The man in black nodded to Duan Jin, leaped onto the horse, and his posture was quite graceful.

At this moment, Wan'er had already led out their donkeys. Duan Jin mounted one and compared it to the black-clad

man's waist; lo and behold. 　　The cold- eyed

and his men led the way, and the group wound their way along the rugged mountain path. The young Duan Jin 　　could

never have imagined that this journey would lead to a complex and tortuous story. 　　**************** 　　... He was granted the titles of Grand Master of the Palace, Inspector of the Ministry of Works, Military Governor of Yunnan, Pillar of State, and King of Dali by the Song Dynasty. He abdicated in 1147 and became a monk, having reigned for thirty-nine years. 　　I've worked through the night to finish the second chapter, and the third is in progress. I can assure you that *The Young Man's Journey* will be a long martial arts novel. The erotic content will be only mild, but the plot will definitely be abrupt and unique. Please treat it as a martial arts novel, unless the moderator forbids me from publishing it here. 　　While I wouldn't dare say this novel rivals *Ten Brocades* or *The Martial World*, I will use these classic novels as my model . I hope it will evoke some memories for you after reading it. 　　Also, those who want more erotic content, don't worry, I will arrange several female confidantes for the protagonist; the young girls are far from being the main characters yet. Alright, that won't stop you from enjoying the story. 　　Chapter Two: The Plum Manor Vanishes in the Dark Night 　　The Wanmei Manor, nestled in the Siming Mountains, has been managed by Mei Wanshan for over 30 years, leveraging the wealth of the Wanlong Money House . Spanning hundreds of acres, the manor has enjoyed a flourishing reputation and rapid growth in recent years. However, the origins of wealth remain a mystery. Most speculate that in his youth he stumbled upon a treasure deep in the mountains, acquiring martial arts skills and immense riches. However, these are mostly rumors and should not be taken at face value. 　　Chen Xiao and his group wandered through the mountains for over an hour, finally emerging from a mountain hollow where the scenery suddenly opened up. A lush plum grove came into view, seemingly boundless, with distant, verdant mountains and several pavilions nestled deep within. Duan Jin, having lived in the Wuliang Mountains since childhood and seen many beautiful sights, was still deeply impressed by this place . 　　Wan'er, however, had no time to appreciate the scenery. Her heart was in turmoil. Her young master had inexplicably fallen into this trouble, and ensuring his safety was of paramount importance. Leng Baiyun and Duan Lan had repeatedly instructed them before leaving that they must not reveal their family background unless absolutely necessary. As Wan'er was pondering this, the group arrived at the manor gate. 　　Two white flowers were already fluttering at the gate, and most of the family members wore white sashes around their waists. Two family members led away the donkeys and horses, and the man in black and Duan Jin followed Chen Xiao inside. Duan Jin looked up and saw that the manor was quite luxurious, with carved beams and painted rafters, but the central hall had been set up like a mourning hall. 　　"I am Chen Xiao, the steward of the manor. Please have a seat." Chen Xiao invited the three to sit in a side hall and instructed the servants to serve tea. 　　Wan'er took the tea, quickly tested it with a Lingxi toothpick, and then served it to Duan Jin. 　　Chen Xiao, a renowned scholar known for his aloofness, couldn't let this subtle movement escape his notice. Without a word, he bowed respectfully to the group, saying, "I have no choice but to invite you all to my residence." 　　Duan Jin chimed in, "Knowing it's unavoidable, why did you do something so desperate?" 　　Chen Xiao replied, "The young master of this manor died under mysterious circumstances, and I only wish to find some clues." 　　Duan Jin said, "We only arrived in Siming this morning and know nothing about what happened." 　　Chen Xiao said, "Oh? I don't know that. May I ask your name, sir?" 　　Duan Jin said, "Duan Jin." Wan'er quickly tugged at his sleeve, but he had already blurted it out. 　　Chen Xiao remained impassive, but he had already noticed Wan'er's actions and thought to himself, "This girl is clearly no ordinary servant ." However, aside from knowing she possessed martial arts skills, he couldn't discern their depth. 　　Chen Xiao continued, "The autumn examinations are still a while away; I wonder why you've come so early?" 　　Wan'er, fearing Duan Jin would speak recklessly again, quickly replied, "The journey is long, and it's probably inconvenient, so I've come to the capital ." Chen Xiao found no flaw in her words; this girl was indeed no ordinary person. Since he couldn't get anything out of her, he turned to the woman in black. 　　Chen Xiao said, "This young lady, may I ask your name?" 　　The woman in black replied, "Knowing I am a young lady, yet asking my name is impolite." 　　Chen Xiao, slightly rebuffed, wasn't annoyed: "If you don't want to say, fine . But may I ask what brings you to Siming?" 　　The woman in black replied, "I came here to offer incense last year, and I've come to fulfill my vow." 　　Seeing that he still had no flaws, Chen Xiao decided to test his martial arts skills. He picked up his teacup and used the lid to stir...

He took a sip of tea, and suddenly the teacup in his hand shot out in two directions at Duan Jin and the girl in black.

Duan Jin, who knew nothing of martial arts, froze on the spot. Fortunately, Wan'er was behind him. She flicked her sleeve,

caught the lid of the cup, spun it around, and sent it back to Chen Xiao. The girl in black easily caught the teacup with a light touch, saying,

"Steward Chen, you have excellent manners."

Chen Xiao caught the lid and said calmly, "Good skill, please forgive me." After testing it, Chen Xiao

was somewhat surprised. That move was his unique hidden weapon technique. Although he only used 70% of his strength,

few people in Jiangnan could easily catch it. But the young master Duan remained unmoved, while his maid's move was light and smooth,

and the force of the rebound was exactly the same as when he launched it. If a maid was so good, how much more so would his young master? But he

didn't know that our young master Duan was a novice in martial arts. He wasn't unmoved; he was simply unable to remain unmoved.

The girl in black was even more skilled than the maid, effortlessly taking the cup. Chen Xiao stopped talking, clapped his hands to call in

his servants, and instructed them to prepare a guest room. Then he said to Duan Jin, "Young master, young lady, while matters at this manor

remain unresolved , please stay here temporarily."

Duan Jin, already furious from being teased, got up to leave, saying, "What a grand gesture! If you haven't finished in a year,

am I supposed to stay for a year?"

Chen Xiao didn't move, but called out, "A-Da, A-Er, please keep our guest." Two

servants . Although they were servants, their skills were quite formidable.

Seeing someone blocking his way, Duan Jin didn't answer, but made a gesture. Wan'er, seeing her young master's signal, stepped forward and said, "

Please let the young master leave." The two men didn't say a word and immediately attacked.

One was tall, the other short. The tall one's hands moved swiftly, his palms creating several shadows; the short one's hands

formed claws, attacking Wan'er's lower body. Wan'er was secretly startled. Her experience in the martial world told her that the tall man used

the Bitter Wind and Palm, while the short man used the Blood Coagulation Claw. These two servants actually knew such powerful skills.

Wan'er lightly leaped up, kicking at the short man, but it was just a feint. Using the force of the kick, she leaned back

and dodged the tall man's palm strike. This move, combining defense and offense, was graceful and beautiful—a move from the Wind and Cloud Palm called "Gentle Breeze

." Chen Xiao and the girl in black cheered simultaneously. Duan Jin also thought it was beautiful, but he didn't know why; he

only found Wan'er's graceful figure, outlined by her flowing dress in the air, very captivating.

Wan'er landed without stopping, lightly tapped her feet, and sprang up again, her palms striking the tall man's four major acupoints with lightning speed

—a powerful move from the Wind and Cloud Palm called "Rising Wind and Surging Clouds." The tall man raised his palm to block, and with a light touch,

he felt all his strength vanish. It was another feint. Wan'er twisted her body in mid-air,

charging headfirst towards the dwarf. Seeing Wan'er's nimble movements, the dwarf quickly dodged, sweeping his leg across Wan'er's landing spot. Wan'er's momentum

didn't slow; she transformed her palm into a finger, striking the dwarf's Huantiao acupoint on his leg with a "whoosh." The dwarf hadn't expected his opponent to change tactics so

quickly. Startled, he collapsed to the ground, powerless.

The tall man was also quite surprised. He knew the dwarf was a top-tier master of the Western Regions' Luo Mi Sect, yet he

had been subdued in just two moves. He could only grit his teeth and unleash seven palm strikes, fierce but purely for self-defense.

Wan'er wanted a quick victory, so she immediately used the most powerful technique of the Wind and Cloud Palm, while the one that had knocked down

the dwarf was the power of the One-Finger Divine Skill. However, considering this was someone else's residence, she didn't want to injure anyone too severely. Seeing the tall

man's powerful palm strikes, but his defensive stance, she made up her mind. With a flick of her wrists, she unleashed the powerful

force of , intending to clash with the tall man's palm strikes. The tall man, always confident in his own strength, was wary

of the young girl's unpredictable moves, and readily agreed when she challenged him. However, he hadn't anticipated that Wan'er's Wind and Cloud Palm, besides its agile, ever-changing

nature, also possessed the intensity of a sudden, dramatic shift in power.

The aloof scholar Chen Xiao, watching from the sidelines, knew things were going badly, but it was too late to intervene; with a "whoosh," the tall man was sent flying by Wan'er

. Fortunately, Wan'er hadn't intended to injure him; the force of her palm strike circulated within her hand, preventing the tall man from suffering internal injuries.

Chen Xiao was the most astonished. Although he knew this young maid was skilled in martial arts, he hadn't expected her to

subdue two masters from the manor within three moves. Besides the short man, a top-tier master of the Western Regions' Luo Mi Sect, the tall man was none other than Huo

Bantian, the former notorious bandit from Guandong. Both were considered top-tier masters in the martial arts world. Chen Xiao couldn't help but glance at

Duan Jin beside him, who was all smiles and smugly said, "Steward Chen, we can't keep our guests any longer, we're

leaving ."

"Not necessarily." Chen Xiao closed his folding fan and suddenly struck Duan Jin's Tianzhu acupoint on the back of his head. Duan Jin was caught off guard,

but his body's conditioned reflexes allowed him to use the Lingbo Weibu (a martial arts technique) to dodge. Chen Xiao had always thought that Duan Jin's martial arts were far superior to

the maid's , but that step he just took was truly unbelievable. Chen Xiao's folding fan didn't stop, and he

struck three more acupoints: Dazhui, Jianwai, and Jianjing.

Chen Xiao's sudden attack startled Wan'er, who turned and attacked him. But before Chen Xiao's folding fan could

reach Duan Jin, the girl in black had already made her move. With a flick of her beautiful hand, the folding fan was deflected with a clang,

and Chen Xiao felt a heat in his palm. But he ignored the attacks from both sides and continued to press Duan Jin with every move.

Duan Jin, aside from practicing with his family, had never fought with outsiders. At this moment, he only felt a gust of wind behind his head

, too preoccupied to think, focusing solely on moving according to his mastered Bagua formations. Chen Xiao felt he was just a little short of landing a

blow, but always fell short. In that instant, Wan'er's palm struck, and Chen Xiao felt his upper body

completely enveloped in the palm's wind, forced to hide and dodge.

Wan'er, wanting a quick victory, didn't slow her attacks, unleashing a barrage of attacks

on . Chen Xiao's folding fan danced, parrying high and low, feeling immense pressure. Fortunately, the black-clad man who had attacked earlier

stood by, otherwise he would have been at a disadvantage.

After ten moves, a loud shout rang out from the steps: "Step back! Don't be rude!" Hearing this, Chen Xiao

immediately launched three consecutive fan attacks, then suddenly flipped backward, leaping to the side. Wan'er, knowing it was a feint, didn't pursue and

stopped.

Everyone looked up and saw a middle-aged man in his fifties standing at the entrance of the hall. He was tall,

dressed in a black robe, and wore a golden crown. He had a square face, a long beard, and gleaming eyes. Although he looked

somewhat haggard, he still possessed a dignified air. Needless to say, this was Mei Wanshan, the master of Wanmei Manor.

Mei Wanshan waved his hand, and Chen Xiao retreated to the corridor. Master Mei continued, "My servants were impolite and forced

you all here, even resorting to violence. I am truly sorry. Recently, our manor has experienced some incidents, which is why we have

been Please forgive us if we have offended anyone."

Seeing that Mei Wanshan's words were reasonable and well-founded, Duan Jin couldn't think of anything to say for the moment, so

he simply

cupped his hands and said, "Since that's the case, we'll be leaving now." Mei Wanshan also cupped his hands and said, "Young master, please wait. It's getting late, and there's nowhere to stay within 30 li.

Why don't you rest at our manor for the night?"

Duan Jin quickly waved his hand and said, "No need to bother you, no need to bother you!" He then pulled Wan'er to leave.

Just as he was about to take a step, he heard the woman in black say, "Since the manor lord is so hospitable, then this young lady will have to stay."

Upon hearing that the woman in black wanted to stay, Duan Jin stopped and turned around, saying, "Miss, this place is like

the King of Hell's palace. Why are you still staying?"

The woman in black didn't answer, but Duan Jin vaguely saw a slight smile behind the black veil. It was Mei Wanshan who spoke:

"Could it be that the young master is afraid of my King of Hell's palace?"

Firstly, seeing that the woman in black wanted to stay, and secondly, being provoked by Mei Wanshan, Duan Jin, being mischievous by nature, suddenly changed his mind

and decided to stay. "Good, good, the Master is right. Since you dare to keep a girl here,

do you think I'm afraid of your underworld? Haha."

Mei Wanshan gestured, "Please."

Mei Wanshan set aside two guest rooms for the three of them to stay in. Duan Jin and his servant stayed in one room, and the girl in black stayed in the next. He also arranged for

his family to bring food, and Wan'er, as usual, tested the food with a Lingxi toothpick before eating. As darkness fell, the two of them

began to talk in the guest room.

Wan'er said, "Young Master, this Wanmei Manor seems a bit strange. They inexplicably brought us

here, but their attitude doesn't seem like that of bad people."

Duan Jin said, "I think so too. That Master is weird, and that Chen Xiao seems a bit sinister.

But maybe they're investigating someone who died. Well, now they might suspect that it was our Wan'er who did it."

As he spoke, he reached out and touched Wan'er's face.

Wan'er shyly flinched, then continued, "Young Master, since that's the case, we must be extra careful tonight

. It's easy to defend against a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark."

Duan Jin reached out to pull Wan'er closer, but Wan'er blushed and didn't move, saying, "Young Master, things are unpredictable in this place

, please don't."

Duan Jin pulled twice, but seeing she wouldn't come, his face fell. Seeing Duan Jin's anger, Wan'er loosened

her grip and fell into his arms. Actually, Wan'er had grown up with Duan Jin, and feelings had long since blossomed between them, but she had always been

restrained by their master-servant relationship, daring not to harbor any improper thoughts. Duan Jin looked at the beautiful Wan'er in his arms, her flushed face

quite adorable, and recalling her graceful figure when fighting against A'da and A'er during the day, he couldn't help but lean in to kiss her.

But just then, the window paper seemed to be torn open, and something fell in. Wan'er jumped

up , flicked her finger to extinguish the lamp, and leaped to the window, opening a crack to peek out. No one was around.

She picked up the object again; it was a crumpled piece of paper. She inwardly berated herself. Thank goodness! She

'd been so careless; what if it had been an enemy attack? She quickly relit the lamp and unfolded

the paper. Duan Jin also came closer. The paper read: "Tonight, whatever happens, do not leave the room."

After reading it, they looked at each other. Duan Jin said, "Who could this be? It seems like

a warning ."

Wan'er examined it carefully. "Whether it's enemy or friend, this person is highly skilled. Something strange is definitely going on here tonight.

I think we should extinguish the lamp and observe." Duan Jin's experience with enemies was not as rich as Wan'er's.

Before , her parents and siblings had instructed her to follow Wan'er's instructions in any encounters.

The two blew out the lamp and remained in the darkness. Duan Jin could see the tension in Wan'er's expression, so he dared not make any further moves

. They stayed like this until the third watch of the night. Duan Jin gradually became sleepy, and Wan'er, seeing his drooping eyelids, was both amused

and annoyed. He had caused this trouble himself, and now he was getting sleepy. She had no choice but to let Duan Jin go to sleep first. The young master

didn't care about such things; since she told him to sleep, he went to bed immediately.

Wan'er let Duan Jin get into bed fully clothed, while she stayed by his side to watch over him. All around was quiet, without a sound,

except for a few chirps of insects. Although she was a seasoned traveler, she was now protecting her young master, and besides, she didn't know the true nature of Wanmei Manor, so Wan'er

was extra cautious and dared not feel sleepy at all.

Half an hour later, there was a sudden muffled "thump" outside. Wan'er crept to the window and gently

opened it a crack. In the distance, she saw a burst of golden light from a firework in the sky. Wan'er knew this was

a signal from some sects to communicate, but she couldn't immediately figure out which sect's signal it was. As the fireworks faded,

several dark figures flashed across the opposite rooftop. Wan'er was startled and wanted to jump out to see what was happening, but then

she remembered the crumpled paper from earlier. She quickly composed herself; protecting her young master was paramount.

A moment later, a scream rang out from the north courtyard. Wan'er thought: Something's definitely happened. Then

came a series of screams. She heard hurried footsteps approaching, but upon closer listening, they didn't sound like martial

artists. The footsteps drew nearer, followed by another scream—this time it was clearly a woman, who collapsed

not far .

Wan'er turned around and saw Duan Jin still fast asleep. Wan'er couldn't help but find it amusing;

everyone else was on edge, while he was sound asleep.

The sounds of fighting outside grew louder and closer, clearly coming from this direction.

Wan'er gripped the short sword, the Balance Sword, hidden in her luggage. Looking again, she saw a figure leap down from the north courtyard, followed by

two more men in black. One wielded a knife, the other a sword, their movements incredibly fast, forcing the figure in front

to turn and fight again. Wan'er recognized the man as the cold-eyed scholar, Chen Xiao. The three clashed in a flurry of blows.

The two pursuing men in black were highly skilled; Chen Xiao barely dodged several attacks, and seeing he was outmatched, he feinted a couple of times

before turning to flee. However, the man wielding the knife used a strange movement to evade the attack, his blade slashing Chen Xiao's leg.

Wounded and unable to escape, Chen Xiao drew his soft sword from his waist and turned to fight again. This time, he seemed to abandon defense, fighting with all his might

, and for a moment, he was not at a disadvantage.

The three fought for another ten rounds when suddenly a hidden weapon flew down from above, striking Chen Xiao's sword. This

created a slight opening in Chen Xiao's defenses, which the black-clad swordsman seized immediately, thrusting his sword into Chen Xiao's chest

. Chen Xiao gripped the blade, managing to utter a few words with difficulty: "Good...ruthless...dragon..." Before he could finish, the sword

was withdrawn, and Chen Xiao collapsed to the ground, silent.

Another person, also dressed in black, jumped down from the roof. The two men immediately bowed to him, and the newcomer waved his hand, saying, "Old man..."

"All done. Quickly search these rooms to see if anyone is still there." With that, he moved swiftly and darted back to the north courtyard.

The two turned and headed towards the side room, which was Duan Jin's residence. Wan'er lay prone by the door, ready to

use the most powerful killing move of the Guiyun Sword Technique to catch them

off guard as soon as they opened the door. Wan'er considered that her martial arts were on par with Chen Xiao's, and she was not very confident in fighting these two. Only by striking suddenly could she eliminate one of them and still be able to deal with the other.

Just as they were about to reach the door, they suddenly heard a sound in the distance. They heard someone say, "There's someone over there." The footsteps

stopped , and she immediately headed in another direction. Wan'er lay low for a while longer, hearing no sound, then looked out

the window. There was no one outside, only Chen Xiao lying on the ground. Listening carefully, she realized Chen Xiao was

lifeless ; he was clearly dead.

Wan'er listened intently to the sounds outside. The screams gradually faded, and then the coming and going sounds also

disappeared. Wan'er waited carefully for another quarter of an hour before tiptoeing out of the house. In the courtyard, she saw Chen Xiao with

a sword in his chest. She used her lightness skill to leap onto the roof and looked around by the moonlight. She could see in the distance, in the hall... Some

lights flickered, while the rest was shrouded in darkness. Two figures lay vaguely visible outside the hall. Wan'er thought: It seems

Wanmei Manor has been invaded by enemies, and many have died. She returned to her room and saw that her young master was still sleeping soundly.

Only then did she leave again, pushing open the door to the next room, which was already empty. Wan'er wondered, could the note have

been given by the girl in black?

She returned to the courtyard, checked around, and only after confirming that no one was there did she jump back onto the roof and float towards the hall.

Along the way, she saw many corpses, some killed by brutal methods, others stabbed with swords. She arrived at the hall. She saw that

the two fallen men were Ah Da and Ah Er, whom she had fought during the day. Both were wounded by swords. Wan'er carefully examined

their wounds; they had both been cut from the same spot by a narrow-bladed sword.

She continued walking inside. The hall still resembled a mourning hall, but the scene was horrifying. The manor lord, Mei Wanshan, lay

beside the coffin, riddled with sword wounds. His golden crown had slipped off his head, and his face was covered in

bloody . The coffin had been opened, and inside was the young manor lord, Mei Yiping, who, like his father, had been

hacked to pieces, his flesh and blood flying everywhere. Even a dead man... They spared no one, sending chills down Wan'er's spine.

Seeing this bloody scene, Wan'er quickly retreated from the hall and ran towards the side rooms. Corpses

lay scattered in the corridors. As Wan'er walked, a sense of foreboding crept in—had the Mei family been wiped out?! But at this moment, she

couldn't care less about the massacre; her only thought was to wake her young master and get them out of there.

Back in the courtyard, Chen Xiao's body still lay on the ground in the darkness. Wan'er ignored it, pushed open the door, and went inside. But

the scene before her made her head spin, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

End of Chapter Two.

Chapter Three: Misty Rain in Qianjiang. "

Where is he?! Where is Duan Jin?!" —Duan Jin, who was just fast asleep in bed, was nowhere to be seen!

Wan'er's head went blank. She frantically searched the room. Good heavens, how could

someone hide in such a small space? The luggage was still on the table, but the bed was empty.

Wan'er's mind went completely blank. Her young master was missing. She jumped outside and searched the room thoroughly. Chen

Xiao's body was still there. She searched all the guest rooms around, but there was no one there.

Suddenly, she wondered if Duan Jin had woken up and was playing a joke on her, hiding away. She quickly returned to

her guest room , this time feeling a sense of despair. A few rays of moonlight seeped into the darkness, but the room remained empty.

Wan'er slung her luggage over her shoulder and went outside, intending to search the entire Wanmei Manor. She began

searching every courtyard, but there was no sign of Duan Jin. She even found

corpses , indicating that Wanmei Manor had truly suffered a terrible tragedy. But she paid no attention to any of that;

she only wanted to find some trace of Duan Jin. However, in the vast manor, she found nothing but corpses.

Tears welled up in Wan'er's eyes. Her heart sank deeper into despair. Looking at the corpses, she couldn't bear to think

any further , constantly blaming herself for going out—why had she gone out into such a dangerous place? She had

been so careless. "Madam Duan entrusted the young master to me, and I abandoned him. Heavens! If anything happens to the young master,

I...I won't live either."

After wandering around for a while, not knowing how vast Wanmei Manor was, she stumbled back to the main hall. The corpses of Mei Wanshan and the others

were still there. Seeing the mangled remains, Wan'er was on the verge of a mental breakdown. She slumped down on

the steps outside the hall and finally burst into tears.

Suddenly... Then some light appeared around her, and Wan'er looked up sharply, noticing many figures all around. Her first thought

was that the black-clad killers had returned. She jumped up abruptly; if it was them,

then only they knew the young master's whereabouts.

A moment later, more than a dozen people appeared in the courtyard. Wan'er was startled; she had been crying so bitterly that she

hadn't been prepared for so many people to enter the manor. She wiped away her tears and looked at the group of people, but they were

monks, Taoists, men, and women—not the assassins. Someone in the crowd murmured, "Why is there a

young girl ?"

An older monk gestured for everyone to quiet down and stepped forward, saying, "I am Puzhao, the head monk of the Bodhidharma Hall of Shaolin Temple. Who is

this young lady , and what brings you here?" "

Upon hearing the monk's question, Wan'er was momentarily speechless: 'I...I...' she stammered, unsure where to begin. Just as she

was about to utter a word, the sound of horses' hooves grew louder in the distance. Soon, a middle-aged man burst in from

outside Upon entering the courtyard, he was struck by the horrific scene and froze on the spot. After a moment's pause, he suddenly

cried out, 'Brother!' and stumbled into the hall.

Wan'er turned to see the man already throwing himself upon Mei Wanshan's corpse, weeping: 'Brother! Brother! I'm

too late!' Everyone in the courtyard looked on in surprise, the monks and Taoists chanting their mantras.

Puzhao gestured to his men to look around the estate, then asked Wan'er again, 'Young lady, please tell me where you

come from and what brings you here?'" His words had become somewhat harsh.

Wan'er knew that Puzhao was a renowned monk in the martial arts world, so she recounted her experiences of the day to him.

By the time she finished speaking, the people who had been searching around were gradually returning and reporting to Puzhao. A Taoist priest with a long beard and

a woman entered the hall, checked the situation inside, and helped the man out. The man sat on the steps,

still muttering, "Brother, I'm a step too late!"

Puzhao and the others stepped forward to comfort the man. Wan'er stood aside and said to Puzhao, "Master,

why are you here tonight?"

Puzhao replied, "We are all friends of Master Mei. A few days ago, we received a letter from him informing us that

someone intended to harm him, so we came here to help. Unexpectedly, we are still a step too late! That man is Master Mei's

sworn brother, known as Shao Feng, the First Blade of the Yangtze River."

After a while, the men who had gone out returned, including two monks who brought a man with them: "Uncle-Master,

this is a servant we found under the manger in the backyard. He seems to still be breathing."

Puzhao quickly examined the servant and saw that he had been hit on the back, but was still breathing. Puzhao immediately pressed

his acupoint Shanzhong and channeled his inner energy into him, then took out a pill and put it in his mouth. The servant slowly woke up, and Puzhao said,

"Who are you? What happened here?"

The servant said, "Kill...kill everyone." He almost fainted again.

Pu Zhao brought some water for the servants to drink. He caught his breath and continued, "Those people killed..."

Shao Feng suddenly rushed to Pu Zhao and the servants, grabbing the servant and shaking him, "Tell me, who killed my elder brother!"

Suddenly, Shao Feng and Pu Zhao looked towards Wan'er. Wan'er saw that the servant's finger was pointing at

her: "She, she and her young master entered the manor this afternoon, and, and injured them both..." He then

pointed to Ah Da and Ah Er lying on the ground. Before he could finish speaking, the man's head tilted to the side, and he stopped talking. Pu Zhao

channeled his inner energy again, but after a while, the man had already stopped breathing.

Shao Feng slowly stood up, his eyes blazing as he stared at Wan'er: "You, who exactly are you? How could

you have killed them?"

Wan'er suddenly felt unable to defend herself: "I, I didn't! I didn't kill them."

Shao Feng said, "Then did you injure them both?"

Wan'er remembered what happened that afternoon and nodded, but then she thought, no, this has nothing

to do with what happened that night. Could it be them?

Shao Feng approached her step by step, demanding, "Speak! Who sent you?"

Wan'er suddenly felt as if she had fallen into a terrifying trap. Though she didn't know why,

a chilling aura spread through her.

Shao Feng advanced, Wan'er retreated. Suddenly, Shao Feng drew his sword and attacked Wan'er. Wan'er spun and

floated the Guiyun Sword Technique. Her

graceful movements, combining defense and offense, drew cheers from the crowd.

Shao Feng's sword, however, didn't stop. In an instant, he unleashed seven more strikes, all desperate moves. Wan'er

dodged and weaved, busy but not chaotic, and didn't forget to return three sword strikes. After several rounds of fighting, Pu Zhao

shouted , "Hero Shao, leave him alive!"

Upon hearing this, Wan'er's mind cleared instantly. She had been still reeling from the loss of Duan Jin, but now she suddenly

realized that powerful enemies surrounded her, and she couldn't afford to linger. She abruptly switched from defense to offense, unleashing five rapid sword strikes that

targeted five major acupoints on Shao Feng's upper body—a move known as "Chaotic Cloud Crossing," forcing Shao Feng to parry. However, this was

a feint. Seeing an opening, Wan'er immediately used the ultimate lightness skill from the Witch Cloud Manual, her body

expanding rapidly , not forgetting to grab a handful of silver fragments from her bosom and scatter them at the crowd.

Pu Zhao, seeing her movement, knew she was about to escape. He flicked his sleeves, unleashing the Shaolin martial art "Flowing Cloud Sleeves" towards Wan'er,

but in a flash, countless silver lights shot down. Pu Zhao could only catch the silver fragments that struck him with his sleeves.

In that instant, Wan'er had already floated onto the roof. Several skilled concealed weapon users in the crowd

unleashed , but they had already vanished into the night, leaving only Wan'er's clear voice: "Esteemed heroes,

this humble woman is absolutely not the murderer..."

*** *** *** ***

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/178777.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=178777&aspx=1

Previous Page : Prodigal Son Yan Qing

Next Page : Nine Phoenixes Under Heaven: Family Chaos

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

Youthful Journey

comment Open a new window to view comments